In freak incident, 35-year-old tribal man killed as stray bullet hits him while hunting in Alluri district

Visakhapatnam: A 35-year-old tribal man died on the spot allegedly after a stray bullet from a country-made gun pierced him during a hunting expedition in a forest area in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharama Raju district, police said.

The incident happened near Vana Kunthuru village under Pedabayalu police station limits of the district on Friday night but it came to light on Saturday, they added. The deceased was identified as B Bonjubabu, a native of Vana Kunthuru village and the accused Y Suribabu (35), a native of Kodi Mamimdi village.

Circle Inspector of G Madugula police station A Satyanarayana said a group of five people went to the forest to hunt wild boars on Friday evening. They had two country-made guns -- one was with the deceased and another with the accused to hunt the boars.

Suribabu and others heard a rustling sound and movement in the bushes and assuming it to be a wild boar, opened fire. But the bullet hit Bonjubabu, who died on the spot, the official said.

Based on the information, the police and forest department personnel rushed to the spot.

The police shifted the body for autopsy and registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.

A similar incident took place in the district in October 2020 in which a man was killed.

Inputs from PTI